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TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGoTizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGoPosted Aug 13, 2012 21:44 UTC (Mon) by daglwn (subscriber, #65432)In reply to: TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo by Kit Parent article: TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo
I look for whether the name conveys what the software actually does. Can I guess at what it does just from the name?
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TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 1:08 UTC (Tue) by mikov (subscriber, #33179) [Link]
By that definition Phonon should be in the "good" pile.
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 3:20 UTC (Tue) by daglwn (subscriber, #65432) [Link]
Huh?
Wikipedia: "In physics, a phonon is a collective excitation in a periodic, elastic arrangement of atoms or molecules in condensed matter, such as solids and some liquids."
Unless there is some other audio-related meaning to "phonon" that is more specialized, I don't see how it fits.
And even if there *is* such a meaning, it is certainly isn't the first thing one thinks about when encountering the word.
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 3:43 UTC (Tue) by sfeam (subscriber, #2841) [Link] Continuing from that same Wikipedia article:"The name phonon comes from the Greek word φωνή (phonē), which translates as sound or voice because long-wavelength phonons give rise to sound." Maybe it's just because I'm old enough to remember earlier usage, but to me "phonon" immediately signals something related to sound. According to the OED, the original coinage (1932) was: J. Frenkel, Wave Mech. vi. 267: It is possible to associate the acoustical waves with certain particles which we shall call ‘phonons’, and to replace the study of the heat oscillations forming these waves by the study of the motion of the corresponding ‘phonons’. Closer to on-topic. Is "TizMee" to be pronounced tease me or 'tis me?
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 4:06 UTC (Tue) by mikov (subscriber, #33179) [Link]
The phone, not to mention the phonograph http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph both sound very similar to Phonon, and they both have something to do with sound :-)
That certainly is the first meaning that comes to my mind. I wasn't even aware of the physical meaning, and neither are most people, I am sure.
How about Git as an example of a bad name that is also very good :-)
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 7:51 UTC (Tue) by renox (subscriber, #23785) [Link]
Very funny: this "collective excitation" is the movement of atoms/molecules which transmit sound in a solid/liquid..
So phonon is related to sound, which makes it an "on topic" name, its mains drawback is that not a lot of people know what is a phonon (as you've shown).
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 14:39 UTC (Tue) by daglwn (subscriber, #65432) [Link]
Most people don't listen to sound through a solid or liquid...
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 15, 2012 1:49 UTC (Wed) by mathstuf (subscriber, #69389) [Link]
I imagine "fluid" would be better than "liquid" which includes air and gases.
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 2:02 UTC (Tue) by Kit (guest, #55925) [Link]
Then why are 'Linux' and 'Clang' in the good pile?
Linux is just a totally made up name, that's only mildly similar to 'unix' (which even fewer people likely know these days). Nobody's going to be able to guess what Linux is just by the name.
Clang is DEFINITELY not obvious at all. I only JUST NOW realized that 'Clang' could be read as a combination of 'C' and 'lang' (and I've used it as a compiler/analyzer a fair bit!). Maybe the people that run the project pronounce it as 'c-lang', but I doubt most people would read it that way.
On the other hand, most people would likely guess that Phonon has /something/ to do with audio, even if they aren't familiar with the word 'Phonon' itself. People might not guess that 'Amarok' is a music player, but the 'rok' at the end of the name is something they'd likely be able to use to help them remember what it is.
(Personally, I also don't like the name 'Libre Office' either, simply because saying it feels like the vocal equivalent of banging the keyboard randomly)
As sorpigal (and others) have said, I'd disagree that a name must instantly say what the software's function is. It can work, as long as you're consistent with the pattern (Apple having done a fairly good job with i<Word>, although they also have <Word>
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 3:25 UTC (Tue) by daglwn (subscriber, #65432) [Link]
> Then why are 'Linux' and 'Clang' in the good pile?
"Linux" is an obvious play on "Unix" to those familiar with the field.
I'll grant that "Clang" is a bit of a stretch but it is easy to remember upon understanding "C lang(uage)."
"Libre Office" works better in some languages than others but the fact is that "Open Office" (another good name) was already taken.
I understand the whole Google/Search branding argument but again that is largely a function of marketing and Free Software doesn't have enough of that. We have to have good naming.
I'm much less concerned about naming components like "Clang" than I am with user-visible tool names. Some of my own projects have terrible names but at least they're libraries. :)
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 14, 2012 5:38 UTC (Tue) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]
I don't know. The first time I've seen it in my packages I've actually started to type 'reoffice' in Google search to find out what is it before I dawned on me that it's LibreOffice, not lib-reoffice.
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 29, 2012 13:06 UTC (Wed) by philomath (guest, #84172) [Link]
Funny. reminds me of libiberty (-liberty).
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 15, 2012 2:07 UTC (Wed) by mathstuf (subscriber, #69389) [Link]
"Amarok" is the title of a Mike Oldfield album which is what the application is named after. It's also the name of a mythic Inuit wolf which is where the logo comes from.
TizMee – Tizen compatibility layer for MeeGo Posted Aug 15, 2012 11:55 UTC (Wed) by pboddie (subscriber, #50784) [Link]
I saw a Volkswagen Amarok pick-up truck in the parking area on my way in to work today.
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